UTSA 55, A&M-CC 47: How the game was won

Facing a two-hour, late-night drive back home, I’m going to keep this one short and sweet.

Devin Gibson: I could probably stop right here after the second half Gibson turned in. Coming off a foul-plagued effort against Sam Houston State, and a poor first half, Gibson was nothing short of brilliant in the last 20 minutes, scoring or assisting on 24 of UTSA’s final 30 points. Simply put, whenever the Roadrunners needed a play, he made it. They seem to have a bright future, but they’re going to miss Gibson sorely when his eligibility expires this spring.

Defense: Stephen Franklin, Larry Wilkins and Sei Paye combined to make 1 of 4 shots in 73 minutes. On the other end, however, they played a critical role as the Islanders struggled throughout. Wilkins was especially important, though, against Corpus Christi’s athletic frontline. His primary matchup, Justin Reynolds, was mostly a non-factor, failing to score a field goal until a breakaway dunk in the final minutes. Gibson, of course, contributed as well, picking off four steals and holding counterpart Garland Judkins — remember him? — to two points in 16 minutes.

Melvin Johnson III: Fans have been clamoring for Johnson and his dead-eye stroke to hit the starting lineup. After Wednesday, we can see why. Drilling three long jumpers in the first five minutes, he finished with a game-high 19 points to make a great case for remaining a starter. Asked why he finally inserted Johnson into the first five, Thompson said he actually wanted to give the second unit more defense in the person of Paye. Johnson was probably a bit closer to the truth, though, admitting that the staff has been badgering him to improve his defense and rebounding. Johnson doesn’t know if he’ll remain a starter. But after the way he played against the Islanders, it’s going to be almost impossible to sit him down.

And that was that. The Roadrunners came close to blowing another lead, but thanks to Devin Gibson’s heroics, they can finally breath easier.